New SAS kit?

[Packman5280]

Saw this over on NOR, thought I would share. I for one want to know how they intend to use nissan knuckles, hubs and rotors when converting to SFA. doesn't make much sense to me, but hey, what do I know.
http://www.the-compound.com/nissan-sas-info/

[Ryan Gee]

Hey it looks like another long arm variation..

The factory t-bar crossmember for radius arm mounts.. all the hits from the front axle will go to that.. interesting! How thick is that anyway? 16 gauge?

Oh my... look how that coilover is mounted to the axle!!

[Packman5280]

it's hard to tell, but it looks like that coil over mount is part of the lower radius arm mount. that would make the lower mount sort of double shear and provide a little more beef for the coil mount to attach to. if not, wow, scary!

[Ryan Gee]

How many plain old shock tabs have been torn off.... they are not supporting the weight of the truck.

No reason to not have the mount on the top axle tube, just make the shock hoops longer. Maybe there will be more pics later.

[Black Pathfinder]

I thought it looked a little sketchy myself.

[Packman5280]

got an email reply from them. here it is

We'd make custom end forgings to replace the c-shaped pieces on the Dana
axle housing. They'd fit the Nissan steering knuckles and ball-joints, so
the knuckles, rotors, and hubs would bolt right on. Also, there'd be a
custom inner axle shaft that would fit the Nissan CVs.

Many Danas don't come with locking hubs, so that's one benefit of keeping
your Nissan stuff. Also, the D30 doesn't have the six bolt pattern,
running Nissan hubs gets around this. The Nissan CVs are more durable than
the u-joints on the D30. And keeping things as stock as possible is nice
as well.

We're probably going to just make the kit for the D44 at first, then give
the option for the modified D30 since they're really cheap - $90 for a
high pinion one around here.

-Dylan

[JeffW]

......give the option for the modified D30 since they're really cheap - $90 for a high pinion one around here.

-Dylan

Holy crap! I hope not. I would rather keep IFS than have a Dana 30!!!!

:twocents:

[Mike Maxwell]

Jeff, here's more to add: The dana 44's in the heep rubi's have the same stub axle size as the 30's. They are not that much better than the crappy 30, except ring gear size and a little larger dia. ring gear and thickness of the axle tubes. I saw this on my employee's work bench at my shop the other day. (He has a TJ and was doing axle work). They just neck that sucker down, and still have those damn unit bearings.

Now I have no problem with the older dana 44's, since they don't contain any of that BS of the new 44's. It just throws people off that they think the 44's in the rubi's are awesome. They could just as well throw a super 30 kit in and be just as well off.

If a Nissan SAS truck is riding on 33's with no crawler gears or front locker, and is light on the go-pedal, then the 30's in the junk yard at cheap prices could be a good value. But who would go to the SAS expense and not beef up is beyond me.

[Mike Maxwell]

Another tidbit of info: The 44 in the rubi's actually has the same diameter axle tube and wall thickness as the 30. So the only advantage of the newer 44's over a super 30 kit is the r&p size! All 44's have only 27 spline outer axles like the 30's.

The super 30 kit obviously beefs the axles up in material (cr-mo), changes the U-joints from 260 to 297 size and has ~1" more ground clearance than a 44 housing at the pumpkin.

What I am getting at is it might be a good value to get a 30 axle out of the junk yard, and add the super 30 kit.

Everybody always bitches about this axle or that axle is weaker than another. Any axle whether 30, 44, or 60, should be beefed up anyway for seriuos trail duty. Example: the old 44 in the old broncos only has 260 size u joints! The 44 we are putting in my employee's TJ is out of an old bronco. It has Moser axles, CTM u-joints, and an ARB. That axle in another vehicle has already broken at least 2 Moser axles, countless Warn premium hubs, but not a CTM u-joint! It brings up the point that everyone should know how to work on their stuff and carry spares!

CV joints are pretty strong when not subjected to extreme angles other than steering angles are quite strong. The use of the nissan CV's on a SFA is a novel idea! A recent test of a Marfield joint did not fail at 30+ degrees of angle, but the cr-mo axle is what actually broke at arount 9000 lbs of force! An aftermarket cr-mo dana 60 shaft for comparison broke at 12K.

[Ryan Gee]

There is also a super 44 kit.. 33 spline! So if you start with a stock 30 or 44 and spend the money on the super kit... you as well start with the strength of a super 30 and go up from there. The junkyards don't care, an axle is an axle when it comes to 30's and 44's. Same old price...

Now if your rig came with a 30.. well maybe it is a good choice to use it. If you have a choice from the get-go for the same price? Better off going with the 44.

Here is a new outer from spidertrax!! They make me drool!! 35 spline all the way out!! SWEEET

http://www.spidertrax.com/core/media/media.nl?id=1007&c=407909&h=57a6fbcfc9f3d496b031

[Mike Maxwell]

Yea, forgot about the super 44 kit.

[JeffW]

Jeff, here's more.......

So I guess you mean that you agree that it would be a MONUMENTAL waste of ca$h to SAS an Xterra with a D30.

Right? :confused:

[ChefTyler]

He's saying there's not a whole lot of difference between the Super 30 and a regular D44.

His main point was to take whatever you got and beef it before attaching it to your vehicle :D

I think.

[Ryan Gee]

If a person is stuck with a 30 on their rig and they want to spend cash on axles and a different carrier.. they can make it almost as strong as a stock 44. A junkyard 44 is the same price as a 30. So if you are building a rig from scratch go for the 44 it is already as strong as the 30 will ever be. I also think the lowest gear for the dana 30 is 4.88's. So no 5.13's...

[Mike Maxwell]

He's saying there's not a whole lot of difference between the Super 30 and a regular D44.

His main point was to take whatever you got and beef it before attaching it to your vehicle :D

I think.

That's what I meant.

Wow, if there is nothing lower than a 4.88 for the 30, that makes it not even an option. That's crazy the junkyards don't charge more for a 44 over a 30.

[NissanNut]

What happened to this company:confused:

[Packman5280]

last I heard they were still in development of the kit

[flash_gordon]

The 30HP is not that bad of an axle if you all ready have one. True you can only go to 488, but they are fairly strong. I ran one in my XJ for a long time with 33's, and a few months with 35's and never broke anything. I am by no means saying it is worth building from scratch, just sticking up for the axle a bit because it treated me well when I had the jeep:D
Shawn

[JeffW]

The 30HP is not that bad of an axle if you all ready have one. True you can only go to 488, but they are fairly strong. I ran one in my XJ for a long time with 33's, and a few months with 35's and never broke anything. I am by no means saying it is worth building from scratch, just sticking up for the axle a bit because it treated me well when I had the jeep:D
Shawn


OK, I hear that. But what about the weight difference between an Xterra and an XJ?

I just can't imagine spending $4000++ on a build that has a weak axle. I have seen a Cr-Mo axleshaft break on a Frontier with a D44. No way would I run even a super 30 on an X because it can't really be upgraded if you find you start breaking them.

[flash_gordon]

I hear ya, I would never put on under an X, I'm just saying it's not that bad of an axle:D
It was in the XJ so I used it, and it worked! I am in no way comparing and X to an XJ.
Shawn

[ChefTyler]

Ok, it's not the axle you should be worried about, it's the mounting for the whole deal...that's what is scary!

[flash_gordon]

Ok, it's not the axle you should be worried about, it's the mounting for the whole deal...that's what is scary!

On the Cherokee? I agree! I had my mounts beefed up a bit for an extra bit of confidence.

Now I just need to save a bit more an get an X to start working on.
Shawn

[ChefTyler]

On the Cherokee? I agree! I had my mounts beefed up a bit for an extra bit of confidence.

Now I just need to save a bit more an get an X to start working on.
Shawn

No, I was talking about the "new SAS kit" that started this argument over D30 or D44 :D

[flash_gordon]

Gotcha:D
Yes, a bit scary!

[rondo]

The only way i'd put in a Dana 30 is if the rig was for street only. They suck! Steering set up is poor, ring/pinion is tiny, prone to bending, etc etc. A rubi Dana 44 with Nissan outers is no way to go either if for no other reason than people drop a TON of cash on rubi Dana 44s to upgrade their TJs.

The way to go is really a waggy or Ford Dana 44. Any Dana 44 that has the cast wedges is one to stay away from unless it's using the Ford style suspension arms, which don't personally prefer anyway.